MelBet's Anastasiia Shcherbyna highlights growth of the African iGaming market at Conversion Conf

 MelBet Partners & Affiliates Marketing Director Anastasiia Shcherbyna highlighted the growth of the African iGaming market during a talk at Conversion Conf, an event held on April 16 in Warsaw, Poland.

In her presentation, entitled "How to get your billions from Africa," the executive explained why Africa is an attractive investment destination. Among these, she mentioned:

• Over 1 billion people in Sub-Saharan Africa, and a fast-growing population 
• Mobile internet expansion driven by China’s digital influence 
• Cultural and historical dynamics that shape user behavior 

She also referred to regional specificities on the continent and pointed out that sub-Saharan Africa differs from North Africa and the Middle East in terms of religion, colonial background, and legal frameworks, which have an impact on the continent:

• Local laws and regulation;
• Education and user discipline;
• Language (main official languages: English and French).

Based on this, she highlighted that it will be important to remember that French-speaking and English-speaking regions vary greatly, and that "style and lifestyle aesthetics in Africa are different from Western standards."

Traffic & Tech  

In this context, Shcherbyna pointed out that Africa is a mobile-first market: Android dominates with more than 85% share, and most users search via Google, often without entering websites.

"MelBet holds local licenses in 6 African countries, giving us a clear edge for legal, multi-channel promotion. That includes partnerships with local football legends and global names like Didier Drogba, Mohamed  Zidane, and more — plus smart micro-influencer campaigns that truly convert," she noted.

Regarding the product strategy, she said that the following factors should be considered:

• Sports betting is the market driver, especially during event-packed days.
• Online casinos need tuning: Crash games wear thin fast, while classic fruit and animal-themed slots are loved.
• Average product conversion rates reach 30–60%, depending on the  GEO.

The executive added that future investors should avoid dealing with political issues and the use of European celebrities without proper localization or context.

Finally, the company stated that, "at the Conversion Conf, MelBet partners and affiliates met with dozens of partners to discuss strategy and future growth in Africa and beyond."